Morgan Stanley Cuts The Southern (SO) Price Target to $84
Key Points
- Morgan Stanley maintained its Underweight rating on The Southern Company on October 21, 2026, adjusting its price target down to $84.00 from $85.00.
- Morgan Stanley's $84 price target implies 7.40% downside from The Southern Company's ($SO) current $90.71 share price.
- Franklin Resources, Inc. trimmed its stake in the utility provider by 247,092 shares, ending the period with 16,561,908 shares worth about $1.50 billion.
- The Southern Company shares recently traded around $90.71, with the company scheduled to report its next financial results on November 5, 2026.
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Morgan Stanley's Call on The Southern Company
Morgan Stanley maintained its Underweight rating on The Southern Company on October 21, 2026, while lowering its price target from $85.00 to $84.00. The stock closed at $90.53 on the day of the research note.
SO
The Southern Company
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Other Institutional Activity in The Southern Company
Franklin Resources, Inc. trimmed its holdings in the utility company by 247,092 shares, ending with 16,561,908 shares worth about $1,499,349,511.00.
The Southern Company Stock Holds Steady
The Southern Company recently traded around $90.71 on October 21, 2026, sitting up about 0.2% from its session close of $90.53. The stock trades above its 50-day moving average of $87.73.
$SO price target
The Southern Company daily closes and this analyst's $84 target. Not advice.
Recent Earnings
The company reported trailing twelve-month revenue of $30,179,000,320.00 and basic earnings per share of $4.15. The Southern Company posted a return on equity of 11.5% alongside a net profit margin of 15.4%. The company is scheduled to release its next financial results on November 5, 2026.
Dividend
The company pays an annual dividend of $3.04 per share, translating to a dividend yield of 3.35%. Its dividend payout ratio sits at 71.8%.
Insider Buying and Selling at The Southern Company
Matthew M. Kim sold 100 shares on September 1, 2026, at an average price of $88.45 for a total value of $8,845.00. Peter P. Sena III sold 4,266 shares on September 3, 2026, at $88.59 per share, totaling $377,925.00. Matthew M. Kim also sold 1,400 shares on September 3, 2026, at $88.87 per share for $124,418.00, and later sold another 100 shares on October 1, 2026, at $82.73 per share for $8,273.00.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
On October 13, 2026, JP Morgan maintained its Neutral rating on the stock with a $94.00 price target, lowering it from $101.00. Truist Securities maintained a Hold rating on October 15, 2026, trimming its target from $97.00 to $93.00. Barclays maintained its Equal-Weight rating on October 16, 2026, moving its target from $101.00 to $92.00. Jefferies maintained a Hold rating on October 20, 2026, adjusting its price target from $96.00 to $95.00. Across the broader analyst community, the stock holds a consensus Hold rating and an average price target of $96.24.
About The Southern Company
The Southern Company operates through its subsidiaries to generate and sell electricity to retail and wholesale customers, while also supplying energy-related services to natural gas choice markets.
Bottom Line
Investors will watch the upcoming earnings report on November 5, 2026, for fresh updates on financial performance. Future institutional filings and analyst updates will provide additional direction.
Related Filing Alerts
Source: Morgan Stanley's rating change on $SO (Oct 21, 2026). Written by software, not financial advice. How we make alerts